| QUALIFICATIONS AND PROGRESSIONS GALORE... |
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As the Skills Training for Employment Progression 3 (STEP), which is funded under the European Union's BSP grants process, embarks upon its second year it’s appropriate to look back upon the success we experienced throughout year one. As predicted STEP participants benefited from opportunities such as accredited training courses, work experience placements with mainstream employers, and continuous support and guidance.
A number of new initiatives helped to shape STEP over the last year. In October 2006 USEL was awarded Approved Centre Status by the Open College Network (OCN) to deliver their range of accredited training programmes to STEP participants. We launched the first in-house OCN-accredited programme in November called Managing Your Finances resulting in twenty STEP participants achieving an accredited qualification. Since then the training & development unit have offered courses on Understanding Work Experience Placements and Teamwork Skills.
As part of STEP 3, ten formerly long-term unemployed disabled people were offered a one year fixed term training contract. These employees were offered on the job work experience complemented with the opportunity to acquire accredited qualifications. This element of the programme proved to be a great success and saw individuals who had previously faced huge barriers to finding and keeping a job becoming more motivated, confident and self aware in terms of their own potential based on their experience and qualifications. Trainees stated that they were ‘more positive about the future’, ‘delighted to be getting out of the house and earning their own money’ and ‘ready to push myself further than ever before and excited about the next challenge’.
The training culture has once again been strengthened in the past year. More and more individuals are availing of the wide range of courses we have to offer such as CLAIT, ECDL, Open College Network Qualifications, NVQs and Basic Food Hygiene. Throughout the year STEP participants achieved a total of 67 accreditations in different subject areas and at different levels. An example of this was the ten STEP participants who completed a CIPD Coaching & Mentoring qualification. The programme requires employees to undertake a training programme to develop their mentoring skills, which is accredited to NVQ Level 3, through the Chartered Institute of Professional Development. The newly qualified mentors are matched to the 10 newly appointed trainees to provide one to one support in the workplace. To celebrate the success of the training programmes and recognise the achievements of employees we held a Certificate Presentation and buffet lunch at our head office on 4th July 2007.
During the year a total of 18 core STEP participants have taken the opportunity to participate in a work placements and we have established strong partnerships with organisations such as Belfast City Council, TK Max, Matalan, Grafton Recruitment, G.M.K. Graphics, Mater Infirmorum HSS Trust, Upper Springfield Development Trust and The Safari Day Care Centre. The placement opportunities are imperative to STEP participants who are considering taking the step out of supported employment into mainstream but are unsure of the options available to them or simply would appreciate the chance to build up sufficient confidence to move on.
The core focus of STEP is to assist USEL’s employees with a disability to acquire a range of work and life skills to equip them to progress beyond a supported work environment. Last year the programme witnessed 8 individuals leaving to begin a career in mainstream employment. They did so benefiting from new practical skills and significantly more self-confidence in their own abilities.
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| Linda Laird |
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